Services Rendered
by michelerene
Summary: Later, Sasuke would realize just how much Naruto had done for him. This epiphany came, of course, after he'd betrayed the detective and destroyed his trust. Now, earning back that trust just might kill them both. NaruSasu Giftfic for Ivvymoon.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Co. and therefore I do not make money from toying with them like they are my own personal and rather naughty action figures.

Summary: Later, Sasuke would realize just how much Naruto had done for him. This epiphany came, of course, after he'd betrayed the detective and destroyed his trust. Now, earning back that trust just might kill them both. NaruSasu Giftfic for Ivvymoon.

Author's Note: This story is dedicated to Ivvymoon, darling and ridiculously talented girl that she is. It's my own fault, I suppose… in retrospect, I see now that there is a reason why bribery is illegal. But, she did provide me with several spectacular chapters of "The Manly Art of Aerobics". She wanted NaruSasu (why! WHY!) and angst. And that is what she got… to the best of my chronically fluffy heart. (Happily ever after DOES happen… dammit.)

WARNING: NaruSasu implies a male/male relationship and that, at some point, sex will happen. Truth be told, I'm not even going to give you a chance to breathe before it starts. You have been warned.

Services Rendered

Hands. The human body has, barring the few and far between anomalies, only two. Twenty-five year old lawyer, Sasuke Uchiha, knew this. He knew this like he knew the sky was blue and the grass was green, but he was willing to allow that, maybe, he had found the exception to the rule.

His thought process was brought to a screeching halt when the black hair at the base of his neck was fisted, forcing his head to the side. There was one hand, he thought absently, and felt the other… everywhere. Warm fingers skimmed over his hipbone and up his ribs before a thumb ran over his collarbone and suddenly those wicked fingers were teasing his chest, twisting and pulling at the exposed and hardened nubs on his chest. When the hell had he lost his shirt? Fucking hands.

Throughout it all, an eager mouth nibbled and bit and sucked what was sure to be a glaring mark on the pale, sensitive skin on his neck. He growled low in his throat and the idiot chuckled. A strong hand grabbed his suddenly bare ass –where or where did his pants go?- and thrust their hips together. Hadn't that hand just been in his hair?

Circling his hips, and nearly quivering with the excitement the increase of friction sent shooting up his spine, Sasuke used his own hands to yank his tormenter's face away from his neck until black eyes met clear, sparkling, and intense blue.

Naruto Uzumaki, twenty-five year old detective for the Konoha Police Department, grinned back at him like a toddler at Christmas. "Did you need something, Sasuke? Because I am very, very…" The blond's head dipped once more, nudging his head to the side, and Sasuke knew he'd have torn strands of hair in his fisted hands. The pain didn't seem to register in the idiot's mind.

"Very?" Sasuke prompted and then his eyes widened when he found himself tripping over backward as his knees connected with a large bed. He blinked for a moment, his head and back cushioned by the soft white comforter, unsure how they had made it from the bedroom door to the bed. He was fairly certain Naruto's wicked hands, all ten of them, were somehow to blame. He looked up at Naruto with the intention of voicing his irritation when Naruto yanked his black, long sleeved shirt over his head and acres of glowing golden skin was exposed. All words died on his lips and Sasuke mouth became unbearably dry.

"Very…" The moron had the gall to lick his lips. "…_deliciously_ preoccupied at the moment." The grin was back but Sasuke's interpretation of the gesture changed drastically. This was not the smile of a child. This was the smile of a predator, dangerous and sensual. Naruto's fingers threaded through his bright hair and then over the back of his neck before sliding slowly down his chest and resting on the waist of his low hung, black jeans. Sasuke couldn't control a very audible swallow when Naruto's fingers drummed momentarily on the button before releasing it, his zipper following slowly behind.

Naruto slid his thumbs into his waistband and pushed down slowly, so fucking slowly, until the tan, smooth skin over his narrow hips was revealed. And although Sasuke acknowledged the movement from the corner of his eye, his entire attention was on the blond hair dusting a trail from Naruto's navel, over smooth abs, and lower and lower and lower…

"You aren't wearing," he began but the words were cut off by the inexplicably gentle noise of Naruto's pants meeting the carpet and the detective stood in front of him in all his naked glory.

"I want you to know something, Sasuke," Naruto said softly as he stepped out of his pants and moved with more grace than Sasuke had even seen him exhibit toward the bed. "Normally, I am a firm believer in the necessity behind wearing my boxer briefs. God knows I don't want to be running five blocks after some asshole with everything near and dear to me flapping about all willy-nilly, but…" Sasuke, who had been holding himself up by his elbows, fell flat on his back as Naruto crawled, left hand, followed by his right, followed by a knee that brushed his thigh, until the golden man hovered above him. "Tonight, I knew that if," Naruto's head dipped forward and licked Sasuke's collarbone with the flat of his tongue. "If I got the chance to have you like this, I wanted the least amount of _anything_ between me and you and…"

Naruto slowly lowered himself until his body covered Sasuke's, chest to chest, leg to leg, and, dear lord, groin to groin. Sasuke's neck arched backward at the feeling of Naruto so close, their erections rubbing together, burning so hot that he bit his tongue harshly and still didn't manage to stifle the low moan the action caused.

It was only after Naruto moved his head to the side and started nipping and licking the sensitive skin over his pulse point that Sasuke noticed that the trembling he was feeling wasn't his own, but instead, Naruto's.

Strong hands fisted into his hair and suddenly, Naruto was there, leaning in, and claiming Sasuke's mouth. His tongue trailed wickedly over Sasuke's lips, seeking invitation, only to take it a moment later with a deep growl. Naruto tasted like spring with an underlying tang of the drink he'd had at dinner and Sasuke found himself thrusting his own tongue into Naruto's mouth, eager to taste more.

Sasuke's hands swept over Naruto's back, feeling his muscles move with a fluid grace under his warm skin. He moved upward with the pads of his fingers only to reverse the movement, dragging his nails down Naruto's shoulders and lower back. He cupped Naruto's ass and thrust upwards, noting that Naruto's body was nearly humming over him, tensing impossibly.

"Fuck, stop!" Naruto hissed, pulling tightly on Sasuke's hair, forcing him to focus on the man above him. Sasuke had no idea how long Naruto stared down at him, his body pressing everywhere, and so tense that Sasuke thought he might break. Naruto blinked and pressed the smallest of kisses on the corner of his mouth. "Sasuke," he whispered and then he was sliding down Sasuke's body, pressing those deceptively simple kisses on his shoulder and collarbone before teasing Sasuke's nipple with his teeth and tongue. "I wanted this… you…" Sasuke's back lifted off the bed when Naruto's tongue swirled around his nipple and his free hand trailed feather soft down Sasuke's abdomen, stopping just shy of his hard cock. Just as quick as they were there, Naruto's fingers were gone and Sasuke felt the warmth of his breath tickle the skin next to his ear.

When Naruto spoke, Sasuke's eyes slipped shut and for a moment he was caught up in the dark, mesmerizing sound of the detective's words, like a sin-filled prayer to heaven.

"And now, I'm going to take you."

It wasn't until he heard the words with his own ears that Sasuke realized that he spoke out loud. "Oh, fuck."

Naruto pulled away after nipping the skin of his ear with a chuckle and a Cheshire grin. "Yep."

Once more Naruto moved down his body, lavishing attention over his smooth skin, twirling his tongue over pebbled nipples and scrapping his teeth down rippled abs. Naruto seemed just as fascinated with his trail of dark hair as Sasuke had been with the brushing of blond and he followed it lower and lower until Sasuke could feel Naruto's warm breath over his straining cock.

"Stop fucking around," he bit out and lifted his hips off the bed, pushing his need into Naruto's face. He wasn't surprised at all when Naruto's hands pressed his hips down into the comforter.

"Impatient," Naruto muttered and ran his tongue from the base of Sasuke's cock, slowly up the shaft, and wickedly around head, lapping at his slit like a damn kitten.

He bucked again and knew he'd walk away from this encounter with Naruto's fingerprints as glaring bruises on his hips. Sasuke's fingers curled into the white comforter beneath him and his eyes rolled back. Naruto sucked his cock deep inside his hot, wet mouth, humming and twisting his tongue as his head bobbed up and down.

"Ah, Naruto," he moaned. "You are…" Naruto pulled up, half Sasuke's arousal still in his mouth, before taking him deep, increasing the suction and pulling off slowly, only to repeat the action. "Oh god, amazing…"

Sasuke could feel his orgasm building and tickling at the base of his spine, each stroke of Naruto's tongue or teasing graze of his teeth, pushing him closer and closer. He released the comforter and his fingers found purchase in Naruto's golden hair. He pulled and pushed, not sure where he wanted Naruto… _everywhere_… and suddenly he was coming, arching off the bed, while stars danced behind his eyelids.

Naruto moved up his body, pausing to lick and nip along his way before settling half on and half off Sasuke's body.

"Fuck, you are gorgeous when you come, S'uke," Naruto purred in his ear and Sasuke grunted. "You don't believe me?" Naruto asked leaning up and looking down on him.

Sasuke ran his fingers over Naruto's strong thigh and up his ribs. He cupped the back of the grinning man's neck and pulled him down into a heated kiss, the clashing of teeth and tongues, wet, messy, and arousing enough that Sasuke's cock jerked up, half hard already. Breaking the kiss, Sasuke ducked his head and kissed a trail from Naruto's jaw, over his collarbone and just shy of a perk nipple. He bit and sucked and licked, causing the warm golden skin beneath his lips to turn a bright, angry red.

Smirking at his work, Sasuke looked up at Naruto. "I am more concerned with how you look when you come."

Naruto's eyes drooped, lashes covering lust filled blue, and he moaned. Using his arms, he pushed up onto his knees and held a hand out for Sasuke to take, pulling him up as well. "I have an idea," Naruto said, turning Sasuke around until he was facing the solid oak headboard at the top of Naruto's bed, "that will let us see both."

Suddenly, Naruto shoved Sasuke forward, forcing him to put out his hands to stop his fall and he blinked. There was a framed mirror behind Naruto's bed, hanging over his headboard. He looked and saw himself, hands holding the wood and Naruto behind him, grinning ear to ear.

Sasuke tried to force his eyes away, turn his head and watch Naruto's movements, but something kept his eyes focused on the mirror. Moving behind him, Naruto moved a hand slowly up and down his back while the other ran cautiously up his inner thigh, ghosting over his balls, and smoothly between his ass cheeks. The whole time, Naruto's blue eyes never left his own in the mirror. A thin sheen of sweat appeared on Naruto's forehead and Sasuke swallowed down a moan. The hand on Sasuke's back moved up high enough to grip his shoulder and the hand fondling his ass stilled.

"Sasuke," he breathed and leaned forward to lick a trail up his spine until his chest covered Sasuke's back. "Look at yourself."

Sasuke blinked, mesmerized by Naruto's face and body, but forced himself to shift his eyes to his own reflection. What he saw made him gasp. His cheeks were flushed, his pale skin glowing with sweat, and his mouth was parted, pulling in air like he'd over exerted himself.

"Like I said, gorgeous, and this is only the beginning."

Without warning, a slick finger pressed against Sasuke's entrance, pushing smoothly until it slid deep inside. A low moan yanked his attention away from his reflection and back to Naruto's. His blue eyes were cast downward, watching his own finger as it moved in and out of Sasuke's ass. "Oh, god," Naruto whispered and when Sasuke pushed his ass back, he added another finger.

This time they both moaned as Naruto twisted and scissored his fingers, stretching Sasuke's hole and searching, searching…

"There," Sasuke panted, his fingers white against the dark wood, and he watched himself in the mirror through half closed eyes. His face was simply wanton, flushed and needy. His pupils were blown wide and he couldn't get enough air. He looked, fuck, he looked so…

His head fell between his shoulders, unable to look at himself or Naruto any longer.

Without warning, the hand on his shoulder wrapped in the back of his hair and three fingers thrust deep inside him, stopping as soon as they were buried. With a tug, Naruto yanked Sasuke's face up until their eyes met in the mirror. Naruto looked like a god, golden hair curling at the nape of his neck, and blue eyes flashing.

"Head up, Sasuke," Naruto purred, his fingers curling deep inside, pressing against Sasuke's prostate and stealing his breath. "If I wanted someone submissive," he continued and leaned forward, kissing a patch of skin on his shoulder. "I wouldn't have chased after your pale ass." He punctuated the statement with a sharp bite, causing Sasuke to yell and buck backwards into Naruto's fingers.

"Fuck!" he yelled and twisted around, glaring at Naruto, but unable to stop the rocking of his hips.

Naruto stared right back, his eyes open and earnest. Without breaking eye contact, he removed his fingers from Sasuke's ass, a hiss escaping from both men, and wrapped them around his own cock. With his other hand, Naruto grabbed the lube and held it up.

"What happens now, Sasuke?" he asked and moved his fingers up and down his aching cock, now red and dripping onto the pristine comforter.

"Kiss me," Sasuke ordered and immediately Naruto was on his knees and at Sasuke's side, his tongue demanding entrance. Using one hand, Sasuke held the back of Naruto's head, forcing it to the side as he fought for dominance, pushing Naruto's tongue back into this own mouth while he tasted and bit every inch of Naruto he could reach. Naruto moaned deep in his chest and Sasuke felt his cock twitch in response. He yanked Naruto's head back and moved his hand back to the headboard. He looked in the mirror and realized that whatever look he thought he saw on his own face was mirrored on Naruto's as well. Flushed, needy, wanting… gorgeous. "Now, I want to see you come."

Naruto blinked and licked his lips. Sasuke smirked and arched his eyebrow. And then Naruto moved. Two fingers shoved deep inside him and Sasuke growled. "That's enough! I'm ready!"

Naruto nodded, purposefully skimmed against his prostate, and yanked them free. With one hand on his shoulder, Naruto's bite from earlier stinging at the pressure, and the other guiding his cock, Naruto thrust himself inside Sasuke, not slowing or pausing until he was balls deep.

"Oh god, so tight," Naruto panted over Sasuke's own, "Ahhh, Naruto."

Naruto rested his head against the middle of Sasuke's back and Sasuke growled, "Head up, Naruto."

Naruto planted a single kiss over his spine and then blue eyes met his in the mirror. "Are you ready?"

Sasuke didn't answer and instead rolled his hips, Naruto slipping out an inch before Sasuke pushed back, taking him in even deeper than before. Naruto bit his lower lip and moaned, the noise like liquid sex, hot and heady, and then, finally, _finally_, he began to move.

He moved slowly at first, like he wanted to feel and know every inch of Sasuke's velvety walls over his cock and then a little faster. Naruto's thumb brushed over the mark on Sasuke's shoulder and his other hand gripped his hip, pulling him back to meet each of his thrusts.

Sasuke could hear Naruto's breathing, rapid like his own, and feel it brush against his skin. Naruto moved faster and faster and Sasuke's fingers hurt from the hold they had on the wood but he couldn't let go, couldn't look away from Naruto's piercing blue eyes, his lips slightly parted, and his hair sticking to the sweat at his temples.

"Come on, Naruto," he coaxed, "Fuck, come on!"

Naruto dropped his hand from his shoulder and now had both hands wrapped around Sasuke's hips, shoving inside him, grunts of breath escaping between moans of pleasure.

"So close. Touch yourself, Sasuke," Naruto said and his thrusts lost their rhythm, hard and fast and wild, pushing Sasuke forward until he lost his grip on the headboard, his chest pressed against the wood and his free arm against the mirror. His other hand worked his cock, pulling and tugging, harder and harder, his palm rolling over the tip and his head fell back, liquid fire screaming through his body. Sasuke came, yelling Naruto's name.

"Gorgeous," Naruto whispered in his ear and Sasuke felt Naruto's body tense behind him, jerking and thrusting hard. He looked in the mirror and Naruto's eyes never left him, even as his orgasm ripped from his body, spilling inside Sasuke, he never looked away.

"Sasuke," he said falling forward, his weight pulling Sasuke down to the bed. Naruto pulled out and immediately rolled Sasuke until he had his face in his hands. Naruto looked down on him, his smile soft, blue eyes sedate and pleased.

Sasuke reached up his hand and brushed wet strands of blond hair from his forehead. "Gorgeous," he whispered and Naruto leaned in and kissed him.

xxxx

Sasuke slipped open another drawer and froze at the loud scrapping sound that echoed throughout the cluttered study. A small lamp on the disheveled desk glowed muted orange and barely lit the corner it was shoved in to. Sasuke squinted to see the other three walls covered with framed commendations and degrees, miscellaneous newspaper clippings and photos, and what looked to be a large poster of a bowl of steaming ramen.

"Dobe," he muttered quietly and turned back to his search. Looking into the next file, his breath caught and his fingers turned white with the grip he held on the manila folder as he pulled it from its confines. He took a deep breath, his thumb catching on the corner to pull it open, when light flooded the room.

Sasuke slowly turned the old wooden swivel chair to see Naruto leaning against the frame of the door in nothing but his orange boxers. An amused smile curled Naruto's lips but didn't reach his hard, steel blue eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest and nodded at the folder in Sasuke's hand.

"Find what you were looking for?" he asked and Sasuke had to stifle a shiver that threatened to race up his spine. Naruto's voice was cold as his eyes and just as unnatural. In all of the time he had known Naruto, he'd never been on this side of the blond's 'detective' voice. Sasuke gave a barely perceivable nod and licked his lips to answer when Naruto continued.

"When you said yes to tonight," Naruto said conversationally, "I will admit that, in the back of my mind, I wondered if maybe you had ulterior motives. Who wouldn't? In the last year, you have said no forty-two times." The blond shrugged and ran his hands harshly through his hair before crossing his arms once again. "But I guess I was hoping that the forty-third time was a charm." All semblance of a smile slid from Naruto's face. "Whose name is on the folder?"

Without breaking eye contact, Sasuke answered flatly, "Zabuza Momochi."

Naruto gave a curt nod. "You know, I'd expect this behavior from a lawyer. Pretty scumbag thing to do, using someone to get information for your scumbag clients." Naruto's arms fell to his sides and his fingers curled into fists. "And if you had just broken into my house, I might have understood. It is who you are. But you didn't, Counselor, you used a relationship that you knew I wanted…" Naruto shook his head, blond spikes falling into his eyes and he crossed his arms tight against his chest in a move that even a small child would see as defensive.

Through the shadows covering Naruto's eyes, Sasuke saw hurt melt the icy blue before the wall came up once more. Sasuke moved to stand but Naruto growled, meeting his eyes, his lips curling.

"But, no, you…" Naruto visually swallowed and stood away from the door frame, facing Sasuke straight on, his tan face tightly controlled, expressive blue eyes frozen in their disgust. "You _whored_ yourself to me for a fucking folder. For a client that took money to do despicable things." Naruto chuckled humorlessly. "I guess you have something in common."

Sasuke stood, words of denial that he knew were lies burning his tongue. Naruto stepped into the room and Sasuke had to force himself not to back away as his whole body tensed, awaiting the blond's next move. Naruto simply stood to the side of the door, his fingers wrapped so tightly around the bronze knob Sasuke internally winced. "Get out, Uchiha."

Naruto didn't even look at him and instead, looked intensely somewhere over his shoulder. He couldn't decide if he wanted Naruto's eyes on him or not. He was so used to Naruto watching him with laughter on his lips, sometimes, and in his eyes, always. Naruto calling to annoy him, his voice smooth over the phone and fucking addicting in person, the complete opposite of the Naruto standing before him.

With his back straight, Sasuke walked to the door, suddenly very aware that he had only pulled on his black pants, not even bothering with his boxers or to button the waist. He paused at the doorway, standing so close to Naruto he could see the man's chest moving up and down with each breath he took. Just above Naruto's left collarbone he saw a red bruise, stark against the golden skin, and closed his eyes, memories of leaving that mark only hours before assaulting his senses.

"Here," Sasuke bit out and held the folder he still had in his hands out to Naruto. He felt Naruto's fingers brush against his own and let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. In the next instant, his eyes flew open when he felt the folder smack against his bare chest, Naruto's hand holding it in place and blue eyes blazing into his own.

"Keep it. I'll nail Momochi to the fucking wall without it." Naruto's face twisted into something so cold and foreign Sasuke tried to pull away, despite his pride, but Naruto's free hand shot out and grabbed his arm hard enough to leave bruises. "You worked hard for it, Counselor. Consider it payment for services rendered."

Naruto yanked his hands away and turned away from Sasuke. "Now, get out."

Sasuke silently moved past Naruto and steadily down the hallway. In Naruto's room, he coolly gathered his belongings, pulling the shirt over his head, and shoved his feet into his shoes. He let himself out without looking to see if Naruto was watching or not. He bypassed the elevator and moved rapidly down the stairs, pushing open the door and stopping on the moonlit sidewalk. His hands fell to his sides and he closed his eyes, willing his heart to slow down.

The silence of the night surrounded him and, with a sickening feeling closing off his throat, he realized he hadn't put on his socks. Sasuke's head fell forward and he ran his fingers through his hair. He'd forgotten to put on socks just one other time, a night similar to the one he currently stood in, only one year prior. The night he met Naruto, the night he closed himself off to everyone, the night Itachi died.

How pathetic.

xxxx

Sasuke leaned tiredly against his apartment door while he loosened his red tie around his neck and groaned when his phone vibrated wildly inside his pocket. He locked the dead bolt, pulling his tie free and tossing on the side table with his keys before bringing the phone to his ear. Unsurprisingly, the caller was already talking.

"My title of star rookie is in jeopardy."

Sasuke smirked. "Hello, Itachi."

Phone calls were always like this with his older brother. Sasuke suspected that Itachi started the conversation before he dialed the phone, leaving Sasuke to play catch-up when he answered.

"Foolish little brother," Itachi snapped in lieu of a traditional greeting and continued. "His record is impeccable, he has a reputation of thinking on his feet, and, apparently," Itachi's voice came out bored as if he were discussing the weather in Zimbabwe or the migrating patterns of Nubian Woodpeckers, "he came out of the academy with gold stars and sunshine shooting out of his ass."

"Who?" Sasuke interrupted and toed off his shoes before collapsing onto the couch. Silence met his question and then he heard Itachi breath out a long, put upon sigh.

"We were discussing the brilliant new detective," Itachi said slowly, like a parent to a slow child. "Do try to keep up."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and let his head fall backwards onto the couch. "Please," Sasuke said, his own sigh dripping in sarcasm. "I don't believe for a moment that you think this moron is better than you and I meant, does he have a name?"

More silence before the line was filled with Itachi's dry chuckle. "I don't appreciate your tone of voice, little brother, but you're right, I don't. And the young prodigy is Naruto Uzumaki."

"Hn."

Sasuke heard the sound of a radio squawk in the background and assumed Itachi was in his car. When the noise faded, Itachi answered, "He just transferred today. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting him yet. I haven't even been into the station today. I have a lead…" Itachi stopped once more and crackled noises came over the line.

Sasuke bent his left leg and settled his ankle on his right knee before peeling off his sock. The right sock followed and Itachi was back.

"Which brings me to the point of my call."

Sasuke couldn't stop the amused snort. "Your point wasn't some young upstart trying to steal your glory?"

"Oh, he can try," Itachi said. "I'll enjoy watching the moment he realizes he'll never measure up. With that lofty goal in mind, I asked to be partnered with him."

Sasuke's eyes widened and his fingers curled tightly around the phone at his ear. Itachi hadn't had, accepted, or tolerated the notion of a partner since his last partner, Kisame, had died in the line of duty.

"Itachi," Sasuke said slowly, running a hand through his hair, asking without words if his brother was alright, if there was something Itachi needed or if was there something Sasuke should do or say.

Itachi made an irritated noise of dismissal that let Sasuke breathe freely. "We only accept the best."

Sasuke grinned into the dim light of his apartment. "Or, at the very least, second best."

"Indeed."

The conversation lapsed into a comfortable silence and Sasuke stood, walking over the plush carpet to the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of imported beer. He listened to more noises from Itachi's police scanner and sat back down on the couch.

"So," he said before pulling a long drink from the bottle, "about that point?"

Sasuke heard a car door open and close, and feet crunching on gravel. "Sasuke, I need to go. I'll be by your apartment later tonight." Itachi said and his voice made Sasuke sit up a little straighter. He heard an underlying tension is his brother's cool words.

"Itachi, what is going on? Where are you? Does anyone know where…" he snapped out but Itachi cut him off with a sharp, low laugh.

"Baby brother, when are you going to realize that one of us has to be a big boy?"

Sasuke struggled to hold back the flair of anger. He knew what Itachi was trying to do, bait him into an age-old argument to distract him, but something was wrong.

"I'm hanging up now, Sasuke."

He pushed down his feeling of unease and reminded himself that Itachi always knew what he was doing. Looking at the clock, he read eight forty-three. "Don't bothering coming after ten, I won't open the door."

He snapped the phone shut on Itachi's chuckle.

Sasuke was jerked awake by the knocking on his door. He ran a hand over his face, wincing when his back protested to the length of time he'd spent sleeping while sitting up. He blinked rapidly and noted that the time read eleven seventeen. "Asshole," he muttered to himself and moved toward the door. He yanked open the door, colorful curses on the tip of his tongue, only to snap his mouth shut when he was met with a blond, blue eyed stranger and not his smirking older brother.

"Sasuke Uchiha," the stranger asked softly and Sasuke didn't even try to hide the way his eyes roamed up and down the man's body. He wore black slacks and a dark green henley shirt with a soft, black leather jacket. His face was framed by soft blond spikes and his cheeks had the faint brushing of three thin scars on each side. Intense blue eyes met his and he couldn't believe how mesmerizing their swirling depths were. The man cleared his throat and Sasuke's attention snapped back from his sleep induced fog and he glared at the stranger.

"Yes, and you are?"

The blond moved his right arm up to his waist, pushing his jacket aside so that Sasuke could see his department issued .38 against his hip and pulled a silver badge Sasuke was more than familiar with.

"My name is Detective Naruto Uzumaki," Sasuke's eyes widened slightly at the name but the blond pushed on. "Can we talk inside?"

Sasuke's fingers bit into the wood of the door he still held and he shook his head, his heart beating painfully in his chest. "No. What do you need?"

Naruto nodded and Sasuke nearly slammed the door in the man's face when he straightened his posture and caught Sasuke's eyes, his own deathly serious and filled with something dangerously like sympathy.

"There was a shooting tonight on the upper west side…" Naruto's voice was perfect… calm, caring, soft, understanding. Sasuke fucking _hated_ it. "I'm sorry to inform you that your brother was found..."

Sasuke was only vaguely aware that he had walked backwards into the apartment or that Naruto had followed him, reaching out to direct him to the couch. "Mr. Uchiha, I need you to come down to the station with me…"

"You're a liar," Sasuke said, forcing the words past his throat that continued to tightened, the feeling pounding against his chest and stinging his eyes.

Naruto sighed and bowed his head. "I'm so sorry. I wish I was. I truly do."

"F-Fu…" Sasuke clenched his fists until his fingers bit into his skin and stood angrily, clearing his throat painfully. His emotions threatened to pull him under like the crushing wave and the more he fought them, the deeper he sunk. "Fuck you! I just talked to him. He said he was on his way here."

Suddenly the detective was kneeling on the floor, looking him straight in the eyes, a hand gripping his knee. Sasuke wanted to hit his perfect face, push him down, kick him out, at the very least, slap his strong hand and the warmth it provided away, but he couldn't even breathe over the emotions squeezing his heart and tearing at his composure.

"Mr. Uchi… Sasuke, we know you were the last person he talked to on his cell," Naruto explained, his voice like a whisper directly into Sasuke's ear. "But that was over two hours ago."

"No," Sasuke denied but even he heard how weak it sounded and the fingers on his knee tightened.

"I need you to come with me, Sasuke," Naruto said gently and stood, holding out his hand. "Please."

Sasuke nodded and, ignoring the offered hand, mechanically moved to find his shoes before moving toward the door. He held open the door and without looking at Itachi's would be partner, come replacement, said bitterly, "After you."

It wasn't until he was in the front seat of Detective Uzumaki's Jeep, blue and red lights silently screaming into the air, that Sasuke realized he'd forgotten to put on his socks.

How pathetic, he thought, but it wasn't his voice he heard. It was deeper, richer, and perfectly Uchiha. It was Itachi's. Sasuke leaned forward, his head in his hands while his world crumbled around him and didn't even feel Naruto push the car faster into the blackness of the night.

xxxx

Sasuke bit his lower lip until the warm, metallic taste of blood washed over his tongue and the sting of pain penetrated his mind. He opened his eyes, blinded momentarily by the light of the moon, and straightened himself by tucking in his shirt and pulling on his jacket. He found his keys and ran a hand through his hair. With a deep breath, he pressed the lock on his keychain and moved toward his car, his headlights casting his shadow long and thin behind him.

This was good. It was better this way, he thought. He hadn't needed… wanted… Naruto anyway.

He didn't turn around, so he didn't see Naruto watch him leave out his bedroom window, the file forgotten on the crumbled and soiled sheets of his cold bed.

xxxx

Sasuke tossed his gold pen on the desk and he turned his chair around to take in the view. His office was located on one of the upper floors of his law firm's building and the wall behind his desk was ceiling to floor windows. Unfortunately, the view was lackluster at best. Three silvery-black high-rises filled his vision and stood in such a way that no matter where the sun shone in the sky throughout the day, his office remained buried in the shadows of the neighboring buildings.

Sasuke thought it was poetic irony, really. His windows were completely shut off from the outside sun and since the night of his first date with Naruto, some three weeks ago, so was he. After Itachi had died, Sasuke did everything in his control to close himself away. He threw himself into his job and spurned any efforts his few friends and the men and women of Itachi's precinct expended to comfort him.

Surprisingly, at the time, the only person who didn't ease up, shake their head sadly, and walk away was the only man who hadn't ever met his brother. Naruto stood by him the night of Itachi's death, through the trip to the station, and to the morgue for identification. He'd glared angrily at Kakashi, insisting that Sasuke should be allowed to go home after three hours of questioning and slammed the Captain's door when he had been asked politely to take his ass outside. Naruto was waiting for him, coffee cup in hand, when Kakashi finally let Sasuke leave and walked him to the door of his apartment after taking him home.

Sasuke had shut the door and leaned his forehead against the cool wood. Forcing back the raging emotional storm that beat against him, he thought about how he would have enjoyed meeting Naruto. Someone had robbed him of his brother, but also the chance of meeting the blond detective under circumstances more in his control. Now, besides the occasional meeting over the witness stand, Sasuke didn't intend to ever see Naruto again.

As Sasuke had predicted, the rookie detective was pushed into his brother's place and top on the list of cases Naruto inherited, was the case of the murder against his predecessor. He should have been too busy with his job to think about Detective Uchiha's little brother, but, Sasuke was to learn with glaring certainty, Naruto Uzumaki was the definition of unpredictable.

Two weeks after Itachi's death found Sasuke back to work and Naruto seemingly… everywhere. He was at the coffee shop Sasuke frequented every morning, the deli he preferred at lunch, and in the court clerk's office for reasons boggling the poor man's mind besides it nearly always happened when Sasuke had a trial date. Most times, however, found the detective at the door of Sasuke's office with a cup of coffee, a grin, and a 'so… I have a legal question'.

The questions never concerned Itachi or his death, in fact, they were the most irritating snippets of stupidity Sasuke had ever encountered and they were always followed by a request for a date. Naruto would lean against the doorframe, huge grin making his blue eyes sparkle in the artificial lighting of Sasuke's office, and pose his quandary.

"So, this morning I was walking down the sidewalk and I tripped and now I'm wondering if I can sue the shoelace maker, you know, like that girl with the hot coffee and, speaking of coffee, are you free tomorrow night?"

Sasuke would look up from his work and in a voice that was nothing short of bored tolerance reply, "No, innate clumsiness is not grounds for legal action and no, I am not."

Sasuke felt there was a chance that he was imagining it but for a moment Naruto's smile would slip but before he could catch it, Naruto would rally and shake his head. "Alright, next time then."

With the typical response of 'hn', Sasuke would look up and Naruto would nod before walking away, hands in pockets, a smile on his face. Sasuke couldn't begin to explain why it hurt him to see Naruto's shoulders so squared, as if holding the disappointments of the world on his shoulders. In retrospect, which he'd had some time to analyze, he couldn't say what filled him with shame more, all the times he'd sent Naruto away in disappointment, or the one time he'd said yes, saw Naruto stammer with surprise and happiness, and then destroyed it all.

Since that night, Sasuke hadn't seen Naruto, not once. At first, he was content with that. It was what he wanted and after the words that Naruto had thrown at him, he wasn't eager to face the detective anytime soon. What the hell could he possibly say? The truth was he did say yes to Naruto's request because he knew Naruto was on Zabuza's case and the partners were expecting great things of Sasuke…

With a sigh, Sasuke turned his chair away from the window and stood, straightening his jacket and tie. That might have been the truth at the moment, but Sasuke knew now that he had said yes because he was tired of saying no. He wanted Naruto. Hell, he had since the first day he met him but he was too much of a bastard to give in. Fuck, accepting Naruto in his life would be accepting _life_ and Sasuke wasn't sure he wanted to live a life without his brother, even with Naruto at his side.

Gathering his briefcase, Sasuke stepped into the hall, closing the door behind him. Naruto had done an amazing job of staying in Sasuke's life and now that the blond didn't want him, he was doing an equally amazing job of staying out of it. The onetime Sasuke thought for sure he'd at least get to see Naruto, not that he wanted too, mind you, was at Zabuza's trial. Two days before the start of trial, Sasuke received a notice from the DA, Iruka Umino, regarding a change of witness. The official wording behind the change had been Detective Uzumaki's willing acceptance of his removal from the case for a conflict of interest, detailed reasons unspecified. Sasuke didn't attempt to fight it, even when it raised a few eyes around the office.

Sasuke was nearly to the elevator and feeling the dull headache he tended to get when he tried to figure out why the idiot seemed to bother him more now that he wasn't actively bothering him when he passed one of the conference rooms on his floor. The door was slightly ajar and although he couldn't see who was in the room, he did hear what they were saying.

"… would be the third cop in three years."

"Coincidence… stranger things have happened."

"This one is the worst of them all, has his hands in everything."

"Little fucker is _everywhere_…"

Sasuke's heart raced and he stilled in the hallway. It's just talk, he told himself, people spouting off. It was no secret that DF&D Law Firm represented some of the more questioningly moral members of society. He tried to make his feet move, refusing to think about what they were saying or that they might be talking about Itachi and his partner and that maybe, the third, the one that was everywhere, was…

"Uzumaki… by any means necessary."

Fuck.

Sasuke closed his eyes and felt his fingernails bite relentlessly into his palms. Everything slowed around him and whatever the voices plotted behind the door was muted by his heart beating furiously in his ears. Naruto. They were talking about Naruto. He couldn't…

"Mr. Uchiha."

By the time Sasuke had turned to address the newcomer, his face and eyes were devoid of any of his inner turmoil, and back to his cool, stoic façade. Danzo, senior partner of DF&D, stood in front of him. His charcoal gray suit was impeccable and he pulled facetiously at his sleeve.

"Did I catch you on your way out?" When he was done with the adjustments on his cufflink Danzo stood in front of Sasuke with his hands held together in front of his body and his dark brown gaze sweeping over him before flitting to the door behind him.

With a barely perceivable nod, Sasuke looked into Danzo's face. Scars rippled over his skin from an accident before Sasuke's time and a black leather eye patch covered his right eye. He raised an eyebrow at the calculating look in the older man's exposed eye. "Yes, sir, did you need something?"

Danzo's look didn't ease up, but Sasuke was an Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha's little brother. Nothing short of spinning red eyes could scare him.

"No, Uchiha. Have a good night."

"Hn." Sasuke turned and walked toward the elevator. He waited for the door to open and moved inside. As the doors slid closed, Sasuke turned and saw that Danzo was gone and the door to the conference room was firmly shut.

xxxx

To Be Continued…

Author's Endnote: For the time being this is unbeta'd, but when my beta of extreme awesomeness, aka Master of Rebels, looks it over, I'll exchange.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Co. and therefore I do not make money from toying with them like they are my own personal and rather naughty action figures.

Summary: Later, Sasuke would realize just how much Naruto had done for him. This epiphany came, of course, after he'd betrayed the detective and destroyed his trust. Now, earning back that trust just might kill them both. NaruSasu Giftfic for Ivvymoon.

Author's Note: Thank you for the awesome reviews. Onto part two…

Services Rendered

Sasuke left his firm and drove with no destination in mind only to find himself here. He wasn't overly surprised, though, and looked up at the building tracing the words Konoha Police Department with his eyes.

Until a year ago, he came to this building every Monday and Wednesday for lunch with his brother. He never hesitated before going in, hell, he was welcome here. Now, well, he hadn't been back but once since his brother's death and that had been four months ago when Kakashi notified him that he had to put Itachi's murder investigation on the back burner. There just wasn't enough man power and crimes hadn't stopped. Kakashi finished with something that sounded like an apology and 'he's not forgotten'. Sasuke nodded, and left, his coffee untouched.

A week later, when Naruto appeared at his office, his question had been "Can you ever forgive me?" and he left without an answer or asking for a date. Sasuke was grateful because, in that moment, with Naruto's eyes bright and pleading and his head hung, he couldn't have guaranteed he would have say no… to either question.

Now he was back to convince a man who he'd fucked, literally and figuratively, and pushed out of his life, that someone was trying to kill him. He had to admit that Itachi would have found the entire situation endlessly amusing.

With a final sigh, he pulled his keys from the ignition and headed inside. Nothing had changed. The main office was packed with as many economically minded desks and file cabinets as physically possible. The air still smelled of coffee and ink and the harsh lighting still caused a tick to develop in Sasuke's left eye.

He'd only just stepped into the large room when he was spotted.

"Uchiha?"

Sasuke glanced to his left to see Kiba leaning against a desk, a file open in his hands that he closed slowly as he looked at him. Shino sat at the desk and turned to look at Sasuke. "Can we help you?"

"I am looking for Nar… Detective Uzumaki." Sasuke knew it wasn't just his imagination that the whole room came to a standstill with the attention of all the room's occupants on him.

"Naruto isn't here," Shino said with little inflection, "I believe he is in booking."

"But," Kiba quickly interrupted, "you can wait for him in his office."

Sasuke raised a cynical brow looking behind the grinning detective at a desk with more orange than necessary and a finger smudged nameplate that read, 'Det. N. Uzumaki'.

"Hn."

"Yeah, follow me." Kiba tossed the file on the desk haphazardly and Shino caught it without looking away from his computer screen.

Sasuke followed Kiba through the maze of desks, well aware that all eyes were still on him, to a door on the side of the room. Kiba turned with exaggerated flourish at the door, blocking the sign with his body before pulling the door open.

"If you would be so kind as to wait inside."

Sasuke entered slowly and found himself in the station's bathroom/locker room. White tiled floors lead to a row of dark blue lockers. To the left he saw an alcove that lead to the showers and to his right a similar space adorned in urinals. Well, this was nice.

He turned back around only to watch the door shut in his face. A growl started low in his chest and he reached forward to yank the door open and make someone fucking _cry_ when he heard Kiba's voice.

"Jesus, Naruto…"

Sasuke froze, fingers on the door handle, and then he heard a shuffle of feet.

"It was a messy takedown." Even through the door Sasuke could tell two things, Naruto was tired and he was rubbing the back of his neck with that idiot smile of his. His assumption was proven correct when he heard several chuckles.

"What are you all doing?" Naruto asked and it sounded like he was right outside the door.

"You have a visitor," Shino said.

"We had him wait in your office," Kiba offered amusement clear in his voice. Sasuke growled again. Silence followed where Sasuke imagined Naruto looking at his desk and then colleagues for answers. Kiba chuckled.

"Oh, very fucking funny!" Naruto snapped. "If it's the DA again, I'm going to kick…"

Sasuke moved his fingers as the door was yanked open. Naruto's face was red with frustration but as soon as he made eye contact with his guest and realization hit, his face paled and his words died. Naruto stared and, to Sasuke's surprise, he saw concern flash in his eyes.

"Are you o-" Naruto began but then shook his head, breaking eye contact.

"Detective," Sasuke said flatly in greeting and watched Naruto's fingers grip the door fiercely.

"Counselor."

Sasuke nearly winced at the cool condemnation in the detective's voice as Naruto stepped into the room, the door sliding shut behind him. He was wearing lose blue jeans that hung low on his hips with a worn denim button-down shirt left open to his white undershirt. His badge hung on a chain around his neck, shiny under the florescent lighting. He looked good, damn good, in fact, except for the thin layer of some unknown substance smeared over a majority of his body. Sasuke suspected it was some restaurant's 'secret sauce'.

The orangish-white gunk clung to Naruto's hair, flattening one side while making the other side even wilder than usual and stiff. Sasuke must have smirked because Naruto's glare intensified and his fingers curled into fists.

"Just tell me whose file you want, I'll go get it, and we can skip all the bullshit."

Sasuke liked to think that he kept the flush from his cheeks as he felt anger and embarrassment build inside him but the spark in cold blue eyes told him differently. With the echo of their last conversation ringing in his ears, Sasuke forced himself to look directly at Naruto, his own face expressionless. The war between running away, or staying and beating the stoic look from the detective's face would have to wait for another day.

Taking a breath, and shoving his hands in his pockets because he wasn't sure they could be trusted, Sasuke addressed Naruto in a smooth, calm voice. "Someone is trying to kill you."

There, he'd said it. And Naruto… well, he might be laughing. The corners of his mouth tipped and straightened and tipped once more. Sasuke's calm cracked slightly and he glared. "Is that amusing in some way?"

A shimmering of the humor that used to swirl so freely appeared in Naruto's eyes and he shook his head while turning his back to Sasuke. "Noooooo, Counselor, death threats are never funny," he drawled sarcastically and pulled his blue button up off his shoulders, tossing it onto a wooden bench. His white t-shirt clung to his chest, smeared with dirt and special sauce and something red down his left side.

"Fuck, Naruto, what happened…" Sasuke said stepping closer but stopped when Naruto's body tensed, coiling so tightly that Sasuke saw the muscles on his back jump under his shirt. Through clenched teeth Sasuke spat, "You're bleeding."

Naruto twisted to see what Sasuke was talking about, raising one arm in the air. The fact that he stepped back didn't go unnoticed, and neither did the pained flinch or the hiss that escaped his mouth. Naruto fingered the gash through his t-shirt. "Well, after chasing some drug pushing asshole for three blocks and into an industrial sized garbage bin, it turned out that he was carrying a knife and…" Naruto looked up and met Sasuke's eyes. "… bent on killing me. It happens. More than you'd think, honestly."

Naruto shrugged, the movement sluggish, before pulling his t-shirt off slowly, mutters of 'shit' and 'damn' filling the quiet locker room. Finished, he sent a fake smile at Sasuke. "So, thanks for the warning." His voice lowered into an exaggerated, condescending whisper. "I'll be extra special careful out there."

Sasuke hadn't even reconciled the thought with the action before he found himself slamming Naruto up against a nearby locker. Naruto must have been caught just as unaware because after a pained grunt, he looked at Sasuke, his eyes wide before he bucked to fight Sasuke off. Sasuke bent his right knee, shoving it into Naruto's thigh while leaning the rest of his body weight against the detective's heaving chest.

"What the hell?" Naruto growled when Sasuke pinned the detective's wrists against the sides of his head. He pressed further into Naruto's body until he could feel the outline of Naruto's badge and the rise and fall of his harsh breathing against his chest. Sasuke had no illusions that Naruto couldn't take him down in a heartbeat if he tried, so he'd have to make his point while he was able.

"I just told you that someone is trying to kill you and you're acting like it's some kind of joke," Sasuke hissed. His fingers tightened around Naruto's wrists. "This isn't about… fuck, Naruto. Don't get yourself killed because of…" He wasn't able to finish but Naruto must have understood because he stopped even his futile attempt at fighting him off.

"You're right. How unprofessional of me." When Sasuke looked up, Naruto's face was impassive, his breathing steadier against Sasuke's chest, and his eyes cool. "Where did you get this information?" Naruto asked flatly and Sasuke knew Naruto wasn't seeing him. He was just another informant now. Sasuke released Naruto's wrists and stepped away. Naruto slowly brought his arms down to his sides but didn't move away from the locker.

"I overheard it."

"Where?"

Sasuke didn't answer. He couldn't disclose that information. He was a lawyer in his own law firm. There were confidentiality clauses in place for a reason.

Naruto blinked and shrugged. "Fine. Did you see who said it?"

Sasuke shook his head and cautiously said, "No, it sounded like two or three separate people."

"I see." Naruto pushed off the lockers, stepping closer to Sasuke, his eyes narrowed and calculating. "Can you tell me what these unknown conspirators said in this undisclosed location?"

Sasuke's mouth pulled into a thin line but he didn't step back. "They talked about how it would be three officers in two years." Naruto's eyes met his and Sasuke saw a flash of interest. "They said the third was the worst. That he was everywhere and fucking annoying. And then, as if I didn't already fucking know, they said your name."

Naruto ran both hands through his hair, briskly rubbing and tugging at the spikes, only to curse softly when he encountered the mess still clinging to his hair. "I need to know where, Sa… Counselor, where did you hear this?"

Sasuke simply raised his eyebrow, meeting Naruto's intense gaze with a harsh glare of his own.

Naruto chuckled humorlessly and Sasuke felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. "Let me get this straight. You might have overheard several men, who all but admitted to killing your brother and his partner before him…" Sasuke winced this time, not ready to think about that, but Naruto didn't stop. "…plotting to kill another police officer, specifically me, and you can't tell me anything that might even remotely help besides that someone is trying to kill me? You can't give me anything else?"

Sasuke thought of Danzo. Did he enter the room after Sasuke left? Could he have known something? But at the same time, Sasuke knew he could have just as well gone back to his office. The men behind the door, hearing Sasuke and Danzo talking, could have realized the door was opened and shut it. Sasuke shook his head. "No."

Without another word, Naruto turned around and punched the lockers behind him. "Get out."

"Naruto," Sasuke said making no move to leave and instead watched Naruto as his stood with his fingers splayed on the locker, breathing in and out as though he were counting each breath. "I thought you should know."

Tan fingers curled into fists but didn't move away from the metal and Naruto didn't turn to look at him as he spoke. "My job is very dangerous. Anything can happen." Sasuke watched Naruto's back stiffen like he was steeling himself for something big. "Something that you know from personal experience." Naruto finally turned around and leaned back against the locker. His right hand crossed his chest and held the knife wound. His eyes were shut and pinched, like in pain, but as Naruto continued, Sasuke couldn't be sure that it was from his injury. "And you haven't told me anything that I didn't already know."

Sasuke exhaled slowly and mentally grasp for something else to say, to make Naruto open his eyes, to make Naruto look at him. The moment was stolen from him when the door to the locker room opened and a uniformed officer entered.

"Hey, boss," a young burnet said loudly and then halted when he saw Sasuke. His brown eyes looked back and forth between Sasuke and Naruto. He cleared his throat nervously. "Ah, they said you had a visitor in your office, but I laughed. Thought they were pulling my leg… again. I can, um, come back."

Sasuke nodded but Naruto moved toward the young man. "No, Mr. Uchiha was just leaving."

The officer grinned smugly, boasting his success at gaining Naruto's attention, and Sasuke made out the K. Sarutobi on his name badge. "Right. I just had that case file you asked for… again."

Naruto's head jerked around and he glanced quickly over at Sasuke, blue eyes darting between Sasuke and the file. Sasuke's eyes narrowed while he tried to read the name on the file but the detective moved quickly, all but yanking the file from Sarutobi's hand. "Thanks, Konohamaru."

Sasuke stepped forward but a hand against his chest stopped him. "I thought the boss said you were leaving." Sasuke glared down at the grinning officer and looked up to see Naruto close his locker, the file presumably inside.

"Naruto," Sasuke said warningly but the blond just shrugged.

Konohamaru wrapped strong fingers around his upper arm and pulled him toward the door. "I'll just see you out, then."

Sasuke let Konohamaru pull him to the door before yanking his arm free. He turned around to see Naruto watching him carefully, a wrinkle between his eyes. It was a look Sasuke hadn't seen in a long time. It was the look Naruto wore, one of interest, concern, something… more, before he'd fucked everything up.

"You need to see a doctor," he said softly and heard Konohamaru gasp, looking around him. Naruto nodded slowly. Sasuke looked down, straightening his jacket before looking up and holding Naruto's gaze. "For what it's worth…"

"Good-bye, Sasuke."

Naruto turned toward the showers, Sasuke blinked, and Konohamaru pulled him out the door.

xxx

A week later found Sasuke sitting low in the seat of his black Aston Martin watching Naruto's condo. The detective lived on the top floor of a three story building in a quiet neighborhood nestled in the shadows of the skyscrapers of downtown. Modern in design, the wall facing into the street was an expanse of large windows that probably had a stunning view of the rising sun.

From his position, Sasuke could see Naruto's living room decorated in a montage of earth tones, orange unfortunately prominent, and black, sleek electronics. Currently the wooden blinds were open but Naruto had disappeared down a hallway thirty minutes ago to what Sasuke knew from personal experience lead to his bedroom. Sitting up a little straighter, and stretching his legs to the best of his ability, Sasuke took a drink of his cold coffee and scanned the open street for anything untoward.

After telling Naruto what he'd overheard, Sasuke knew that Naruto believed him but wouldn't do anything with the information. When he was feeling generous, Sasuke could understand Naruto's point of view. Had a client come to him with such a weak case he would have had security remove the loser from his office.

As far as Sasuke could tell, no extra personal were assigned to Naruto because the idiot probably hadn't mentioned anything and, if he had, everyone assumed Naruto could take care of himself. Sasuke chuckled darkly to himself. Yeah… just like Itachi took such good fucking care of himself.

Regardless of everyone else's assumptions, or all the times he told himself to let it go, something ate at Sasuke. He woke up at night fumbling for his light or felt a shiver ghost up his spine whenever he thought about that conference room. He knew what he heard that day wasn't just talking and if he were truthful, he knew Danzo hadn't gone back to his own office.

Armed with these thoughts and his annoying need to… be concerned… about Naruto, Sasuke had called into his secretary, telling her he was working from home while he, for all intents and purposes, engaged in the age old art form of stalking. Although if anyone asked, he'd swear under oath that he was just stopping in for coffee, at Naruto's favorite shop, or heading to the gym, directly across from the police station, or going for a nice drive, that included the dead end street Naruto lived on or…

The ringing of his cell derailed his excuses… um… valid reasoning and he brought the phone to his ear without taking his eyes off the street where a suspicious man lingered.

"Sasuke Uchiha," he snapped into the phone.

"So, yeah, I've been doing some research, you know, brushing up on the law, and it turns out that stalking is illegal."

When the cheery voice registered, Sasuke ripped his eyes from the man and his potentially dangerous Pomeranian and up to the condo windows where Naruto stood, cell phone to his ear. Sasuke mouth might have fallen open because he heard Naruto chuckle in his ear and saw him wave cheekily at him.

"I seeeeee you."

Sasuke glared but Naruto's wide grin meant he either couldn't see it or didn't care. Naruto turned away reaching for something Sasuke couldn't see before straightening, coffee cup in hand. He lifted the bright orange cup in a toast in Sasuke's direction and took a drink. "I am wondering though," Naruto began but paused to lick something off his bottom lip. Sasuke bit his tongue and shifted in his seat. "Assuming this is about the people out to get me, what are you going to do when you find them?"

Sasuke took a moment to take a drink. Not because he was thirsty and more because he didn't have an answer and he'd asked himself that question numerous times the last week.

When he looked back up, Naruto was still standing in the window but the coffee cup was gone and it looked like he was adjusting his stripped blue tie in his reflection.

"See something you like, counselor?"

Sasuke shook his head slowly taking in Naruto's long legs in coal gray pants that matched his jacket. Under it he wore a storm blue shirt and tie. He looked… Sasuke's mouth turned down, disgusted with himself but, dammit, the blond always looked _delicious_. "You look like an idiot dressed in your father's clothes."

He was sure Naruto didn't intend for him to hear the sharp intake of breath at his words, but he probably didn't anticipate something in Sasuke's chest to twist painfully in shame either.

"Look, if you didn't come to talk about what you overheard in your building, could you leave? The neighbors are complaining about the lingering, creepy, anal faced man and although we all agree that having that sweet ass car outside raises our property value, we'd like you to go."

"I never said I heard it in…" Sasuke said but Naruto spoke over him.

"I know you, counselor. Since Itachi…" He coughed. "Since I have known you, you don't go anywhere but work and home. You even have your groceries and dry cleaning delivered. The undisclosed location wasn't much of a mystery, really."

Sasuke swallowed down his anger at being spoken to like a toddler and said calmly, "You are not taking this seriously…"

"Yes, bastard, I AM!" Naruto started pacing in the front of the window. "I was transferred here to help your brother with Kisame's murder investigation. Only to have him die before I even met him. It doesn't take a genius to connect the goddamn dots!"

"Naruto," Sasuke said slowly and caught himself rubbing the back of his neck, mirroring Naruto's movements.

"And I'm just stumbling behind in their footprints." Naruto's words were mumbled, barely audible through the phone line and Sasuke didn't think he was supposed to hear. With a forced chuckle Naruto stopped pacing and stood centered in the window, grin stretched across his face. "As engaging as this has been, I have a meeting with the DA." Naruto expanded the statement by waving a hand over his suit. He looked at his watch. "Shit! Right now, actually, so…"

Still reeling from Naruto's words on the inside, Sasuke forced a smirk. "Are you going with a coffee stain down your front?"

Naruto's mouth dropped open comically. "What?! I do not!" He bent his head slightly and the window exploded, surrounding him in sparkling glass and ringing gunshots.

"NARUTO!"

Sasuke pushed open his door, cursing and fighting with the seatbelt while never taking his eyes from the second floor window. He couldn't see Naruto… he couldn't see anything.

When he finally freed himself, he ran across the street, tripping and scrambling, with no thought in mind but finding Naruto. His ears rang with the sounds of gunshots but he didn't know if someone was still shooting or if it was the original shot echoing in his mind.

He covered his head with his arms and something bit into his upper arm. Ignoring the stab of pain, Sasuke threw himself at the door of Naruto's building. He paused in the lobby long enough to locate the stairs and yell at a shocked tenant to call 911.

Taking the stairs two at a time, Sasuke burst out of the third floor stairway just as Naruto rushed out of his apartment, gun drawn.

Facing the barrel of Naruto's gun and hard, steel blue eyes, Sasuke raised his hands, feet planted, while the door shut quietly behind him. His eyes raked over Naruto, desperate to make sure that he was okay. His first glance showed no gun holes and his heart started beating again. The detective's face was covered with tiny cuts from the shattered glass and he noticed that Naruto held his left hand, the one not holding a gun point blank in Sasuke's face, close to his chest. He didn't see any blood so gathered Naruto had hurt it somehow in the fall.

"Naruto, it's just me," Sasuke said steadily and took a slow step forward.

Naruto's eyes narrowed and Sasuke absently registered the sounds of sirens far in the distance. The gunshots had stopped. The gun slowly lowered and Sasuke watched Naruto make his own assessment of Sasuke's health, eyes raking over his body before resting on his arm.

"Sasuke," Naruto said and, in the next second, he was _there_, pushing Sasuke back into the door hard enough for the back of his head to hit. Before he could collect his irritation at the treatment into a coherent thought, trembling hands cupped his face and Naruto kissed him. The kiss was hard and Naruto's lips and tongue were demanding, seeking assurances that Sasuke found himself more than willing to give. "Jesus, Sasuke," Naruto whispered, "You're hurt. Fuck, fuck, fuck…" Each word was followed by a kiss to his jaw, the corner of his mouth, his neck, his collarbone. "Be okay…"

Sasuke shook his head at the last and wrapped his arms around Naruto, pulling him close. He dipped his head and found Naruto's mouth, nipping on his lower lip and pouring himself into a kiss that Sasuke didn't know how he'd ever lived without. He pulled Naruto in closer, molding their bodies together. Naruto was okay. He was okay. Everything would be fine now… even if it was just for now. Naruto's leg slid between his own, rubbing against him, and pushing him harder into the door. Heat flooded his body.

"It's fine, I'm fine. Something ricocheted off the pavement when I was running in," Sasuke explained, his voice low, while his hands moved over Naruto's back and one wrapped into his hair.

It took Sasuke a second to realize that the delicious sound Naruto was making wasn't a moan and instead an angry growl. Pulling away he looked into Naruto's face. Red colored his cheekbones and Sasuke felt he should get partial credit for that but the cold chill of Naruto's eyes stopped him from saying anything.

"You ran into the building," Naruto said softly but there was no warmth behind the words. He stepped away from Sasuke and ran his fingers through his hair, hissing when he cut his finger on a sliver of glass hiding between the strands. Sasuke watched him take several breaths, fingers clenching and unclenching. "You ran into MY building," he said once more, glaring, and Sasuke narrowed his eyes, failing to see that the hell Naruto's problem was.

"Yes," he agreed slowly, condescendingly, but Naruto wasn't listening because now he was yelling.

"You ran into my fucking building while someone was SHOOTING at it?!"

Sasuke was about to yell right back. Hell, yes, he did, because Naruto was in the building, fucking Naruto, hurt and alone in a building, because someone was shooting at HIM, but wasn't given the chance.

Naruto stepped forward and wrapped his good hand around Sasuke's shoulder with enough pressure to leave bruises. He yanked him around, shoving Sasuke forward until his chest and face hit the door with a loud and painful thud.

Sasuke tasted blood in his mouth and spat. "What the hell!" he yelled and started to struggle, only to stop when he felt cold metal handcuffs against his wrists. With a click, his arms were cuffed behind his back and Naruto's fingers were on his shoulder again, herding him back through the door he had just run through and down the stairway.

With renewed indignation and anger, Sasuke tried to pull away.

"I wouldn't if I were you, counselor."

"You can't do this, Naruto! What ARE you doing? You can't arrest me," Sasuke argued when Naruto pushed open a door off the stairway and lead him into an underground garage.

Sasuke growled low when Naruto put a 'gentle' hand on his head and forced him to bend, shoving him in the backseat of Naruto's cruiser. The door slammed, locking him inside and he watched Naruto walk around the car. The lighting was dim and erratic, but it did nothing to cover up the anger radiating from Naruto's body and glinting in his eyes.

They exited the garage and were two blocks from the station before Sasuke felt he could talk without screaming. "I don't know what this is about, but I do know you cannot arrest me. I know my rights. I'm a fucking lawyer!" So much for calm and cool.

Naruto came to a sudden stop causing Sasuke to slide forward on his seat and unable to use his hands, had only his face to break his impact with the black metal screen separating them. "God DAMMIT!" he yelled and pushed himself back, glaring venomously at the back of Naruto's head.

Naruto turned around and looked at Sasuke with nothing short of hell's raging fire in his eyes. "I know! It's all I see when I look at you."

Naruto turned around and eased them back into traffic. Sasuke didn't speak up again.

xxx

By the time Sasuke and Naruto reached the station not another word had been spoken but Sasuke had reached a silent epiphany. Due to this, he didn't resist when Naruto yanked open the car door and pulled him out. One look at Naruto eyes and pressed lips told Sasuke that he was still livid, but regardless of how angry Naruto was, Sasuke knew he hadn't done anything wrong. For the time being, he would just sit back and wait until the blond figured that out.

And this brought Sasuke to the part of his epiphany that made him forget how humiliated he felt, how much the side of his face fucking _hurt, _and brought a smirk to his lips. As long as Naruto was having his tantrum, Sasuke would be by his side and the fact that they were in the police station was even better. This way, Naruto was safe and sound and no one could call Sasuke a stalker. It was a win-win situation.

Naruto pushed open the door and for the second time in a week, Sasuke watched the room come to a standstill.

"Naruto! Man, are you alright?" Kiba said while standing up from behind his desk. "Fuck, man, look at you. Konohamaru was first at the scene but he radioed in to say you weren't there. Neighbors reported they heard gunshots and saw a dark haired man…"

Naruto pulled Sasuke forward and unlocked one of his cuffs before relocking it around a steel bar, seemingly meant for that exact purpose, attached to the wall.

"Uchiha? Did he do it? You son of a…"

Naruto jerked his head. "No, but I want him booked and thrown in a cell." Naruto's voice was low and authoritative and Sasuke looked around to see that not only had everyone stopped talking, but now they just stared. Some with looks of shock at the detective and many others with looks of loathing at him.

"What are you waiting for?" Naruto snapped angrily when no one moved.

Shino cleared his throat and although he didn't raise him voice at all, his words nearly echoed in the room. "What are we charging him with?"

Sasuke rubbed his arm, working the circulation back into his fingers and looked at Naruto with as much interest as every officer in the room. Naruto's eyes met his and Sasuke's breath caught in his throat. Sasuke had seen Naruto's eye bright like sapphires, full of anger, humor, and lust. But he'd only seen this stormy blue twice… once when he found Sasuke in his study and once when he kneeled in front of him and told him Itachi was dead.

It was a look that no matter how he tried to push it away made Sasuke feel important, let him know that somehow, between accepting coffee from a rookie detective, dancing around an explosive attraction, and failing epically at stalking, Naruto cared… for him. He mattered to Naruto and that made him feel small. He didn't deserve to matter. Naruto deserved someone who could return that precious look and Sasuke knew it would never be him.

Sasuke ducked his head and Naruto shook his, breaking eye contact, before continuing his tirade.

"He's a menace! He's a bloody stalker! My neighbors are split between thinking he's a spy or the perfect husband for their daughters. And the Pomeranian downstairs wets himself whenever he sees him!"

Sasuke ignored the round of disbelieving snorts, mostly because he was internalizing his own.

Kiba stepped forward, scratching his chin, eyes shifting uncertainly to everything but the six foot blond in the middle of the room. "Right, but…"

Naruto snapped his head in his friend's direction before walking directly into his personal space. "He is a danger to himself and everyone around him!" he yelled.

Sasuke's attention shifted to the corner of the room, where the captain's office was located. Inside he saw Kakashi stand slowly, as though he finally noticed the tension and inactivity in the main office. He walked to the door and leaned against the frame, tapping an orange book against his thigh.

"He ran into my building! He'll get himself…" Naruto was pacing now, rubbing the back of his neck.

"That's enough," Kakashi said flatly waving the book half heartedly in Naruto's direction. "Historically, no matter how much we wish it weren't true, law enforcement can't arrest a person for their innate and monumental stupidity." His eyes locked on Sasuke. "Mores the pity."

Naruto turned on Kakashi, his face flushed and his hands fisted at his side. "He'll just keep following me," Naruto said but his voice was lowered. Sasuke doubted it was out of respect because of the way Kakashi's eyebrow arched. It was like the two were having a private discussion, unaware of the eager ears around them. "You know…" Naruto hissed and then seemed to remember where he was. "Dammit, he'll get himself killed!" Naruto spat.

Kakashi stared at the seething man, sharp gray eyes clashing angrily with flashing blue, and shrugged him off. Sasuke could see the action was forced, not nearly as careless as the silver-haired man tried to make it appear.

"Naruto, go get your face and hands looked at, and for god's sake, call Umino. Shino, get Uchiha's statement and take him home."

Naruto's face paled as he watched his captain, betrayal evident in his eyes.

"Yeah," Naruto said coolly, "Or better yet, Shino, take the good counselor to the psychiatric ward at Konoha General." Naruto turned his back and began walking between a row of desks and out of the room only to stop just outside the door. "Because only someone fucking _insane_ runs into a building people are shooting at!" By the end, Naruto was screaming and he punctuated the sentence by kicking a metal trashcan against the wall and slamming out of the room.

The jarring, metallic echoing faded out into an uncomfortable and shocked silence only broken when Kakashi pushed himself off the frame of his door. "People act crazy when someone they care about is in danger," he said and turned to look at Sasuke.

Shino had just released his other cuff and Sasuke rubbed at his wrist, glaring at the silver haired man. "Look, I am not crazy, someone is…"

"Shut up, Uchiha," Kiba said grabbing him by his shoulder and moving him toward the door after Shino. Sasuke yanked his head around when Kakashi chuckled but anything he might have said was halted but the painfully exaggerated smile on the captain's face.

"I wasn't talking about your behavior, Sasuke," Kakashi explained and Sasuke stopped struggling, processing the words, as he was pushed out of the station.

xxxx

Shino drove him home. When they arrived at his apartment, Sasuke realized that he'd left his keys, in his car, at Naruto's apartment. Sue him. He'd been preoccupied at the time. And then arrested. Shit happens.

Pulling a spare key from his wallet, he let himself into his apartment. He didn't bother to turn the lights on until he reached the kitchen. Moving across the floor, he pulled open a cabinet and took out aspirin and the first aid kit. Downing four of the white pills and a glass of water, he moved to the table, dropping the white and red box on the surface. He reached down to pull the hem of his shirt up when he heard a shuffle behind him and twisted around.

"Mr. Uchiha, did I catch you at a bad time?"

Sasuke growled low in his throat. Danzo stood in front of him, eyes dark and piercing, face devoid of any emotion. Typical Danzo behavior… save the gun he held in his hand, pointed at Sasuke, and flashing in the light of the kitchen.

Sasuke didn't answer but he knew Danzo didn't expect him to. Danzo motioned with the gun toward one of his kitchen chairs and Sasuke sat slowly, never taking his eyes off his boss.

Danzo released a put upon sigh, rotating his neck and shoulders, but the gun never wavered. "I had hoped it wouldn't come to this. I knew Uzumaki cared about you, but I thought for sure that his feelings weren't returned. I really thought I'd kill him too and, just like last time, you'd mourn and never know you worked for the person responsible for it."

"Itachi," Sasuke growled before he could stop himself and Danzo gave a careless nod.

"Yes, he was close. Fuck, he was on us. Thank god Uchihas think they can take on everything by themselves." An annoyed sound came from the standing man. "Drug trafficking is wrong and yet, so amazingly lucrative, it's impossible to say no. Itachi found out, but, low and behold, his little brother was working for the very law firm millions of dollars were being laundered through. He wanted to protect you, find out how deep it went, and to make sure you wouldn't be hurt in the fallout before he brought it all to Hatake." Danzo moved his head from side to side like he was pondering a question. Face and voice devoid of emotion, Danzo looked right into Sasuke's eyes and said, "What do you think, Uchiha, were you hurt in the fallout?"

Overwhelming anger filled his body, making him see red. Sasuke made to stand but Danzo shook the gun and Sasuke settled, cursing. "You fucking…"

Danzo interrupted. "So, Kisame and Itachi were gone. With the dynamic duo of self-righteousness out of the picture, it should have been smooth sailing." Danzo's eyes narrowed and Sasuke would admit that the look of hatred that came to his eyes was rattling. "And then they brought in Uzumaki. That little monster is tenacious! He knew that Itachi was killed over something he was investigating and like a hound with a scent, he pursued every file on his desk." A tightening of his jaw was the only indication of Danzo's irritation. "I'm not sure if you know this, but in the past year, the only cases that your brother left behind that your heroic detective hasn't solved are Itachi's murder and how drugs keep finding their way onto the streets of Konoha."

Sasuke didn't know that, but suddenly, like a picture in the back of his mind, he remembered the file Konohamaru had given Naruto in the locker room but now the name was clear. It had read 'Uchiha, Itachi'.

Looking up at Danzo, Sasuke jerked his head at the gun. "You're a murdering, drug smuggling, money laundering asshole. I get that. I don't get why you are here telling me."

Danzo chuckled and reached into his breast pocket with his free hand. "Like I said, I didn't want it to come to this. You're a good lawyer. Today I sent a man to kill Uzumaki, which he failed at. Apparently, Uzumaki ducked his head just as my man pulled the trigger. He wasn't able to get another shot but he did bring me this." Danzo tossed something onto the table and Sasuke stopped it with the pad of his fingers. "I didn't know for sure if you had overheard anything the other day in the office. But, this picture explains everything, don't you think?"

Sasuke pulled the photo closer, unaware that his fingers were trembling, and looked down. What he saw squeezed at his heart until he thought he might die from the feeling. It was a picture of himself from this afternoon, right after Naruto's window had exploded. The door of his car was thrown open and he was obviously struggling to get out of his seatbelt, but it was the look on his face that made it feel as if something was crushing his chest, making him work for every breath. Somehow the camera had captured his expression perfectly, his eyes frantically looking up into Naruto's window. It was the look… the look Naruto had given him this afternoon, the one that told him that Naruto wanted him, cared for him, in spite of everything, the one that he didn't think he'd ever be able to return.

He swallowed and it felt painful. His fingers curled around the picture and he glared up at Danzo.

"Ah, young love," Danzo said mockingly.

It felt like his whole body was vibrating and Sasuke's fingers itched to hurt the smirking man above him. He'd taken Itachi and it had only been the difference of a few inches that had saved Naruto's life. He turned in the chair until he faced Danzo, his black eyes narrowed. "I hate repeating myself," he said through clenched teeth, anger making his voice low and dangerous. "What do you want with me?"

"You Uchihas are all the same. You think you are in control." Danzo sneered but Sasuke watched him tip the gun up, holding it with more focus. "But your weaknesses are so clear." Danzo's uncovered eye fell on Sasuke's hand, holding the picture in a death grip. "However, to answer your question, tonight is about wrapping things up. Even before my little show and tell, you just being at Uzumaki's apartment proves you knew too much. And whether Uzumaki has made the connection or not, I just really, really want to kill him."

Sasuke recalled Naruto and Kakashi arguing in the station. _You know… _Naruto had said and now Sasuke could fill in the blank. Naruto did know, and so did Kakashi.

"I left a message that you needed him and I'm sure he'll come running."

Sasuke shook his head slowly, panic stealing his breath even as a seed of hope bloomed in his chest. "You're wrong, he won't come." And Sasuke had never been so happy about Naruto's irrational anger than in this moment.

Danzo just smiled. It wasn't pleasant. "Now, now, I think you underestimate yourself, Uchiha." Sasuke growled and Danzo continued, "Isn't that right, Detective?"

Sasuke yanked his head around so fast he had to blink away the stars but sure enough, Naruto appeared from around the living room corner, his gun trained on Danzo. Without making eye contact, the blond man said, "Are you okay?"

Sasuke nodded and then realizing Naruto wouldn't be able to see said, "Yes."

"Good. Put down your gun, Danzo," Naruto commanded and moved another step into the kitchen but Danzo chuckled dryly.

"No. One more step and I'll kill him."

Naruto stopped moving but didn't lower his gun. Sasuke looked between the two men. Naruto stood perhaps five feet to his left and Danzo the same distance in front of him.

"Put down your gun. There's no other way out of this, because, you see, I did call for backup."

Without any warning, Danzo turned on his heel and fired in Naruto's direction. Naruto hit the floor on his knees to avoid the shot. Sasuke yelled and watched Naruto push himself up, aiming at Danzo, but then he was lunging toward him, his face deathly pale and his eyes wide. Sasuke followed the direction of Naruto's fear filled gaze and looked up to see Danzo had turned the gun on him. Two shots echoed in the small kitchen and Sasuke closed his eyes, bracing himself for a pain that never came.

He opened his eyes when Danzo cursed and he saw the man awkwardly holding his shoulder, the gun still in his hand. Sasuke's eyes frantically scanned the room for Naruto until they landed on Naruto's body, huddled out at his feet. He was curled inward, his hands on his stomach and blood pooled at an alarming rate around him.

Sasuke pushed himself from his chair, falling to his knees next to Naruto. Another curse sounded above him, forcing his attention from the red puddle, and he saw Naruto's gun resting inches from his body. Without thought, Sasuke grabbed the gun and yanked it up, firing before he'd even focused on the standing man. He didn't stop shooting until Danzo fell to the floor, lifeless, and the gun clicked uselessly in his trembling hands.

Gasping for air, Sasuke dropped his gun and pulled Naruto toward him. He leaned his ear over the blond's mouth and nearly sobbed when he heard the faintest whizzing. He looked down at Naruto's stomach and pushed Naruto's weak hands away, pressing down on the wound. "Oh god, oh fuck, oh god," he muttered and heard the blaring of sirens and feet trampling up the stairs.

"Sa… Sasuke."

Sasuke jerked his eyes upwards and got caught in wide blue eyes dulled by pain. "Naruto," he said and bit his tongue when Naruto's body jerked under him and a low, excruciating moan ripped from Naruto's lips.

"D-Danzo?" Naruto panted and Sasuke wished he could wipe the trickle of blood that dripped from the corner of Naruto's mouth but couldn't risk moving his hands.

"He's dead. I shot him," Sasuke looked up at the still body of his boss, "A lot."

Naruto chuckled, the sound coming out wet and sick, and a weak, bloodstained hand struggled to reach out and touch Sasuke's arm, only to fall short. "Good," he whispered and his eyes fluttered shut as his head listed to the side.

"Naruto! No, dammit! Naruto!" Sasuke yelled. Just then the door of his apartment burst open and Sasuke screamed for help.

xxxx

To Be Continued…


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Co. and therefore I do not make money from toying with them like they are my own personal and rather naughty action figures.

Summary: Later, Sasuke would realize just how much Naruto had done for him. This epiphany came, of course, after he'd betrayed the detective and destroyed his trust. Now, earning back that trust just might kill them both. NaruSasu Giftfic for Ivvymoon.

WARNING (of mature content): Alright, let's imagine for a moment that Naruto doesn't die in the first three pages… if, and this is a BIG if… that happens, it is possible that toward the end of this chapter there could be, perhaps, maybe, a need for this warning.

IF he doesn't die, because I'm fairly positive Sasuke isn't a necrophiliac, you have been warned.

Services Rendered

By the time he'd given his statement and arrived at the hospital, Naruto had been in surgery for three hours and the waiting room was filled with officers, EMT's, and the occasional firefighter. Sasuke wasn't surprised that Naruto had all of these people who cared about him enough that they would drink questionable caffeine sources and sit in the hard orange chairs that lined the wall until they heard word.

He leaned against the muted green-colored wall with his arms crossed over his chest and closed his eyes. His problem came from where he fit in the picture.

After Kiba and Shino had burst into his apartment, it was only a matter of seconds before the paramedics were in his kitchen, pushing him aside and talking to each other, words flying faster than Sasuke could make out. Shino pulled him into the living room and onto his couch. He knew he answered everything that Shino had asked in his quiet voice, but it wasn't until Kiba pushed him into his bathroom that he realized he didn't remember anything except how lifeless Naruto looked as he was rushed out of the apartment.

With his hands against the wet tiles of his shower, he bowed his head and watched Naruto's blood swirl and twist, sickeningly beautiful as it disappeared down the silver drain. He couldn't get a bead on what he should be thinking about. Itachi, Danzo, Naruto, killing a man, realizing that life without Naruto was… unthinkable; understanding, with a feeling of guilt, that Naruto never turned his back on him and that his own behavior this past year was him turning his back on everything Itachi would have wanted for him.

An uncomfortable silence fell, pulling Sasuke from his chaotic thoughts, and he opened his eyes to see the District Attorney walk into the waiting room. The crowd parted without a word as Iruka made his way directly to Kakashi. The shorter man's brown eyes flashed and his tan face paled with every word Kakashi spoke. His fingers fisted at his side, his head falling forward, and Sasuke's eyes widened slightly when he watched the captain reach up his hand to touch the shorter man, only to let it drop to his side.

Kakashi must have mentioned Sasuke's name because suddenly he was looking into Iruka's piercing brown eyes, the raw worry and fear pinning him against the wall. This time Kakashi did touch Iruka's arm, drawing his attention, and Sasuke ran an agitated hand through his hair. He needed to get out of here, but he couldn't leave, not until he knew. His fingers felt sticky, although he knew there was nothing left on them to make them so, and he walked across the room to the bathroom. He told himself that he was imagining the eyes following him.

Once in the bathroom, Sasuke walked directly to the sink and turned the water on as high and hot as he could stand. He scrubbed at his fingers and nails before turning the water to cold. Cupping his hands, he splashed his face, and bit his tongue to hold in the gasp as the cool water hit his skin.

He blindly turned off the water and held the sides of the sink while he took several deep and controlled breaths. Tipping his face up toward the mirror, he opened his eyes only to yell, turning around so quickly he slipped and had to scramble to keep his footing.

"Y-you…" he stuttered and was rewarded with an amused snort.

A man leaned up against the wooden door of the stall. His long legs were clad in black sweat pants and his arms crossed over his chest. He wore a worn gray t-shirt that had 'Police Academy' in faded blue letters across the front. His legs were crossed at the ankles and Sasuke watched the man's toes wiggle in blindingly white socks.

"I certainly didn't choose the outfit. You must find it comforting." The richness of the deep and painfully familiar voice forced Sasuke's attention upward and he finally looked at the man's long, black hair pulled lazily up into a ponytail on the back of his head. Loose strands fell over his shoulders and into his face and Sasuke couldn't stop the hitch in his breathing when he looked into his brother's eyes.

"Itachi," he whispered and then shook his head. No, this wasn't real. It couldn't be. To enforce this belief he said flatly, "You're dead."

An arrogant black eyebrow rose and since 'he' didn't disappear, Sasuke continued. "I'm imagining this. It's been a really fucking long day… week, shit, it's been a long year… and you are not here."

Itachi- NOT Itachi, dammit- chuckled. "If this is your imagination, I worry for the state of your sanity, little brother. Who knew your inner psyche was as sadistic and deprecating to you as I was?"

"Was! Not am!" Sasuke said triumphantly, if not slightly hysterically, "You're dead."

"Well, of course, I am. I didn't realize that was up for debate. I really don't have time to convince you I am dead. One would think seeing me on a metal slab with a hole in my head would have sufficed."

"Shut up about that!" Sasuke hissed and he took a threatening step forward.

"Ah, there's the little brother I know. But, I wonder, who are you hissing at? The imaginary me or the coo-coo you?"

Sasuke growled, taking another step. "I don't have time for this," he faltered momentarily as amusement danced in his brother's eyes, "whatever this is. I need to check on Naruto."

"Ah, yes," Itachi said and uncrossed his legs to itch his ankle with the opposite foot. It was a move Sasuke had seen his brother make a million times before, reminding him of lazy Sunday afternoons playing video games and movie nights with his big brother. "I knew he'd be something."

Sasuke swallowed, closing his eyes for the briefest moment while he decided he might as well see this insanity through to the end. "He found out about Danzo."

Itachi jerked his head in a nod. "I know," he said softly. "But I would like to put it in the record that it only took me ten months. I win."

Sasuke smirked and looked up to see Itachi's matched his own. The look faded quickly from Sasuke's face and he looked away. "You should have told me." Sasuke whispered not looking at his brother. With a sigh, he rubbed the back of his neck, and met his brother's intense black eyes. "Danzo shot him."

Itachi slowly nodded again and Sasuke continued. "He ran in front of a bullet." His lips twisted into a sneer. "And the little idiot had the nerve to call me crazy." Sasuke ran both hands through his hair, leaning once more against the sink, and looked up imploringly at his older brother. "Why? Why would he do that?"

Itachi sighed and pushed off the stall, his stocking feet making no noise over the bathroom floor. He stopped in front of Sasuke and his eyes narrowed dangerously. "You know how I feel about answering questions that I know you know the answer to," he said coolly.

Sasuke just looked at him. Itachi sighed explosively, looking away before looking back again and glaring darkly. "He certainly didn't do it for me. None of it. He didn't spend hours at his desk, rifling through my notes and Kisame's chicken scratch for me. He didn't keep investigating my murder after Kakashi took it off the docket for me. He didn't make sure that you were okay, even when you cut yourself off from everyone who cared for you, him included, for me."

"I know," Sasuke said, "I know…"

"He didn't walk into an obvious trap for me. He didn't stop a bullet for me."

"I know, I know, I know…"

Itachi's voice never rose, if anything it got sharper and more controlled. "Then tell me, who did he do it for, Sasuke? Who?"

"Me!" Sasuke shouted and realized he was clinging to the front of Itachi's shirt, his brother's arms around him.

"Yes, for you," Itachi spoke in his hair. "I couldn't have chosen a better replacement for me or a better partner for you."

Sasuke rested his head against Itachi's shoulder and whispered, "I miss you."

Itachi pulled away and looked intensely at Sasuke. He held up his right hand, two fingers pointing forward, in front of Sasuke's face. Sasuke closed his eyes, knowing what was coming, a poke to the forehead and a 'foolish baby brother' and he felt a tear slide down the side of his face because he knew this would be the last time.

Something touched his face but it wasn't fingers and Sasuke's eyes snapped open only to see Itachi had his forehead against his own, black eyes swirling with love.

"Precious little brother."

xxxx

Sasuke jerked awake and immediately his neck and back protested his prolonged slouch on the hard, orange chairs of the waiting room.

It was a dream. Sasuke scrubbed his face with his hands, rubbing his eyes hard. Just a dream.

When he pulled his hands down, he looked around and saw that the waiting room was nearly empty. Panic rippled through him. How long had he been asleep? Why would they all leave? Unless there was no reason to stay…

"Ah, you're awake."

His head snapped to the side and he saw Kakashi sitting several seats down, his hands on the District Attorney's hips, who stood tucked between his legs.

"Naruto," Sasuke asked, surprised at how hoarse his voice sounded.

Iruka turned his head, a look of surprise on his face. He moved to pull away from his boyfr… well, Sasuke really didn't have time to label it… and was denied. With a sigh and a look of irritation at Kakashi, the brown-haired man addressed Sasuke.

"Naruto came out of surgery a couple of hours ago. He'll be in the ICU for a while but the doctors are optimistic. I just came from his room."

Sasuke nodded and turned his head. It felt like he was struggling for every breath, like he had run a thousand miles and he knew it was _relief_, pure, heavenly relief, pulsing through his chest and heart.

"He asked for you."

Why? Why? Why? Sasuke thought and then remembered his brother and everything he or his own tortured psyche had said. He should really stop questioning things he already knew the answer to. "I'm an idiot."

Iruka's eyes brows furrowed, a sign of his confusion, but Kakashi chuckled. "Well, recognizing the problem is the first step."

Sasuke glared at the grinning man with his shitty snippets of wisdom, but stopped when he saw the soft smile on Iruka's face. "They have him on some serious medication. He was awake when I left, so you might catch him."

Sasuke stood, yanking on his shirt and looking around him in case he had dropped anything. He ran his fingers through his hair and then looked to the double doors before looking behind him on his seat once more… just in case.

"Sasuke," Kakashi said and Sasuke looked up, eyes wide, as though he'd been caught doing something wrong. "I busted Naruto down to traffic cop for two weeks after he threw a chair at my desk when I told him to concentrate on his open cases. In that time, he worked patrol during the day, solved three of his own cases, and, apparently, moonlighted on your brother's case." Kakashi released his hold on Iruka and stood, coming to stand in front of Sasuke. He reached out and turned Sasuke in the direction of the ICU. "These are the things he was willing to do for you. Now, all you have to do for him is walk through a set of doors."

Sasuke stood side by side with the Chief of Police before nodding his head and walking toward the doors. Just as he was buzzed in, he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around. Iruka nodded at him and smiled.

"When you reach 'acceptance' on your steps to recovery and are ready to move on, come see me at my office. I could use someone with your skill on my team."

Iruka held out his hand and hesitantly, Sasuke shook it. "I will."

With a final look at Kakashi, who was already moving to Iruka's side, Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets and walked through the doors.

xxxx

Sasuke stood in the doorway of Naruto's room and listened to the sounds of the different machines humming quietly in the dim lighting. Naruto lay propped up on his bed, the sheets and covers pooled at his waist. He wore a thin blue and white patterned hospital gown and Sasuke hated how gray it made Naruto's golden skin. In a sight Sasuke never thought he would see, Naruto's hair hung limp and dull around his face, his eyes closed.

Disappointment filled Sasuke when he realized he wouldn't get to talk to Naruto. He sighed only to startle when Naruto's eyes popped open, staring right at him.

"Are you okay?" Naruto whispered at the same time Sasuke said, "How are you feeling?"

Silence settled around them and unable to speak, Sasuke stepped into the room. Naruto's bright blue eyes tracked him as he walked to the far side of Naruto's bed where a chair had been placed. He didn't sit and instead stood beside Naruto with his head bowed.

"Thank you… for today, for Itachi…"

"It's my job," Naruto began but his words failed when Sasuke looked up, anger flashing in his eyes. "I… I mean, you're welcome."

Silence, but for the gentle sound of Naruto's fingers rubbing the tan coverlet, surrounded them once more. Sasuke wanted to say so much but had no idea where to begin. He didn't know how to fix what he had broken. People were telling him that Naruto still cared, but Naruto had turned and looked at him with steel blue eyes and told him to get out and that all he saw when he looked at Sasuke was the asshole he had become since Itachi's death. And now Sasuke was scared because what if everyone was wrong, what if now that Sasuke wanted Naruto, needed him, Naruto didn't want him back?

"I should go," he said softly after watching Naruto's heavy lashes flutter shut more frequently even as he fought to keep them open and to keep Sasuke in his sight.

"No, wait!" Naruto said and reached out to grab him, only to gasp and clutch at his middle.

"Moron!" Sasuke bit out and his eyes immediately went to the numerous glowing machines next to the bed as if he suddenly had a PhD and the ability to tell through them if Naruto was alright. He stepped closer to the bed and Naruto's fingers snaked around his wrist. The grip was weak, Sasuke could have pulled free at any moment but instead, he just looked at Naruto.

"Sasuke, I… god, I don't want you to go." Naruto's eyes were swirling with emotion and Sasuke sank blindly into the chair behind him, unable to do anything else. "I need to know that you are okay. I close my eyes and I imagine that it is you lying on that floor…"

"Idiot," Sasuke whispered, cutting Naruto off. He tugged on his wrist and Naruto's fingers slipped but as soon as they tangled with his own, Sasuke held on tight. "I close my eyes and I _actually_ see you bleeding to death on the floor, me unable to _do_ anything."

"Sasuke," Naruto breathed, and although Sasuke barely heard it, he felt it, like an electric pulse up his spine.

"I am sorry, Naruto, so fucking sorry." Sasuke took a deep breath and continued, "I wanted you… from the beginning. I don't know what I was thinking, taking that file. I didn't care… I didn't _want_ to care. I should have said yes the first time you asked, but everything about you reminded me of my brother…"

Naruto tried to pull his hand back but Sasuke gently squeezed, stopping him. "I know," Naruto said with a weak smile. "You can never…"

Sasuke scooted his chair forward, the sound of the legs over the floor deafeningly loud, and cupped the side of Naruto's face gently in his free hand. "I'm an idiot," he said and smirked to himself at how easy it was getting to say that. With no further explanation, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to Naruto's. Like a handful of times before, Sasuke was swept away by the feeling of Naruto's lips moving over his, the soft caress of his breath, and the sweet tang of his tongue. When he pulled away, they were both breathless and Sasuke wished he could claim the starry eyed look on Naruto's face was from his kisses alone.

"If you'll give me another chance," he began but stopped when Naruto's eyes slipped closed. "Naruto?" he whispered.

A small smile pulled at Naruto's mouth and his tongue darted out, tasting what was left of Sasuke on his lips. "You know, Sasuke," he said, his words slow and slightly slurred, and Sasuke couldn't help the smile that tugged at his own lips. Naruto's face practically glowed in the darkness. "I'd hold you to that, make you swear that you're serious, and make you promise me…" He blinked open his heavy eyes. "Promise me that you'll stay."

Sasuke nodded and Naruto squeezed his fingers. "But, I think," he said through a long yawn, his free hand trying and failing to cover his mouth. "I think you're going to have to tell me all this again tomorrow." The smile he gave Sasuke at the end was nearly Sasuke's undoing.

He leaned over the smiling man, only to stop when a nurse stuck her head in the room and warned him his time was up. Naruto's fingers tightened around his own and Sasuke kissed his forehead, his temple, and finally brushed a chaste kiss over his lips. "I'll stay until you fall asleep and will be here in the morning to remind you."

Naruto's eyelids worked to open but remained shut and he turned his head in Sasuke's direction. "Promise," he sighed.

"I promise," Sasuke swore and prayed to god that Naruto read everything else in those two words.

"I believe you."

With a soft sigh, Naruto's face relaxed and he turned his head into the pillow, his breathing low and steady.

Sasuke closed his eyes and felt his heart beat wildly in his chest. He gently squeezed Naruto's hand in his trembling fingers before lifting it and brushing his lips against the back of Naruto's hand. "Thank you."

Sasuke didn't let go of Naruto's hand until the nurse threatened to call security.

xxxx

Sasuke stood on the cracked pavement of the sidewalk in front of the police station and watched the dying sun on the horizon. A breeze sent his black hair in every direction and he pulled the collar of his long coat up, blocking the chill that kissed the skin on the back of his neck. Cupping his hands, he brought them to his mouth and blew warm air on his fingers before turning and heading into the building.

It had been six weeks since Sasuke's apartment, the shooting, and their conversation in the hospital. In the three weeks that Naruto spent in the hospital, Sasuke visited nearly every day. Something had changed in their relationship. Maybe not returning it to what it could have been had Sasuke not betrayed Naruto's trust, but something that Sasuke thought could be even better. The trust that shown in Naruto's eyes now was earned and Sasuke would die before he ever saw it fade again.

However, in the three weeks since the detective's release, Sasuke hadn't seen Naruto at all. They had talked on the phone but Sasuke's new job kept him busy and Naruto had rehabilitation, mountains of paperwork, and then physicals to prove he was fit for duty that kept him equally as busy.

Now, Sasuke was looking forward to a three-day weekend and a poorly concealed 'slip' by his new boss informed him that Detective Uzumaki's schedule was clear for the next three days as well. He pushed open the door to the main office and smirked when all eyes turned his way.

"Hn," he said, tilting his head in acknowledgement of their presence.

"Well, well, well," Kiba said and slapped Shino on the shoulder. The quiet man didn't even look up from the papers on his desk. "If it isn't the new assistant DA." Kiba's smile was bright and the silent nods around the room told Sasuke that they approved of his new position. Since he had taken the title, he'd been working hand in hand with the KPD to clean up the mess Danzo had left.

Danzo's death was like turning on a light in a dirty kitchen and watching the cockroaches scurrying in every direction. Sasuke was proud to say he was on the extermination team. All the senior partners were charged with numerous crimes; money laundering, drug trafficking, and murder were just the tip of the iceberg. DF& F Law was no more. Sasuke didn't feel any remorse that he was putting the people he had been working for behind bars. His one goal was to make sure that when Naruto came back, his job was… well, it would never be safe, Naruto had made that clear. So, still dangerous… but on a relatively normal level.

"Is there something we can do for you?"

Sasuke walked to Naruto's desk and pulled off his coat before tossing it on the chair and adjusting his suit jacket. "I'm looking for Naruto."

Kiba's approving smile turned into an obnoxious grin. "Wouldn't you know it, he's in his office."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed but Kiba just jerked his head in the direction of the locker room and answered his ringing phone. Sasuke looked around and found that all the officers were back to work and sighed. Well, if Naruto wasn't there, he'd finally have justifiable cause to punch Kiba in the face.

He pushed open the doors and a quick glance of the room showed it to be empty but his ears picked up the sound of running water and he walked toward the alcove that held the showers. Turning the corner, he noticed two things simultaneously: that the room was tiled in small, dark blue squares and that the KPD was too cheap to buy shower curtains.

Five shower heads lined the wall and Naruto stood, naked and wet and _naked_, under the middle one. Golden skin covered fluid muscle, glistening with water and tiny white bubbles. Hair the color of warm honey lay flat against Naruto's head as he worked his nimble fingers through the stands, rivets of soapy water cascading down his neck and back and over his tight ass and thighs. His eyes were closed and Sasuke felt like he was dying of thirst for the lack of seeing Naruto's liquid blue eyes, even as water pooled around him.

He pulled off his jacket and without giving the idea a second thought, kicked off his shoes and pressed himself against Naruto's back.

"What the…" Naruto said, whipping his head around only to freeze when he met Sasuke's eyes. Sasuke's smirked and leaned forward to lick a trail of water from Naruto's shoulder before biting the skin hard enough to leave a mark.

"Sasuke, what?" Naruto asked and turned around so that they stood chest to chest, while he looked Sasuke up and down. When Sasuke pressed his hips forward, grinding his clothed erection into Naruto's thigh, a blond eyebrow shot up as a chuckle past his lips. "Well, hello to you too."

Before he could say anything else, Sasuke sank to his knees, his fingers trailing slowly over Naruto's ribs and lingering for a moment on the still pink scar over his abdomen. "Let me," he said, and although the words and tone gave no indication it was anything short of an order, he waited for Naruto's response.

Naruto shook his head and Sasuke felt a trembling hand push into his own wet hair. "You don't have…" Sasuke growled and Naruto amended quickly with a 'yes, please'.

Sasuke dipped his head, moving Naruto's now red and eager cock to the side so he could lick over the sensitive skin on Naruto's balls. He heard Naruto's head fall back against the tiles and smiled. Wrapping his fingers around sharp hipbones, Sasuke lowered his mouth in one slow and steady motion until he took as much of Naruto's length in that he could and then pulled back just as slowly.

"S-Sasuke," Naruto whispered from above him and Sasuke repeated the motion, up and down, over and over, running his tongue over the smooth, stretched skin, mapping the thick vein that ran up its length, and tasting the bitter sweetness of Naruto's leaking tip. Still holding Naruto in place with one hand, the other moved to cup Naruto's balls, rolling them gently between his fingers.

"Ahhh," Naruto moaned, and suddenly Sasuke found himself pulled back, his mouth making a popping noise off of Naruto's cock, before he was pushed against the wall of the shower.

Naruto's mouth was on his in a second, biting and demanding entrance. He tasted cool and clean and Sasuke sucked Naruto's tongue greedily into his own mouth, silently begging for more. Fingers worked to undo the knot of his tie, made difficult now that it was wet. Naruto groaned, whether from frustration or desire, and the thin fabric was yanked from around his neck.

Sasuke's eyes snapped open when Naruto broke the kiss and he watched the blond dip his head and suck at one of his hardened nipples seen through the wet transparency of his white dress shirt. "This might be," Naruto whispered and pulled at the shirt, popping buttons off from the bottom up, "the best fucking shower of my life." Naruto pushed the wet shirt off his shoulders and it fell to the floor with a barely heard _sploosh _before Naruto's wicked mouth was tormenting his chest once more. One hand twisted just shy of painfully in his hair while the other trailed over his chest and around his back and over his hip and then, Naruto's third or perhaps fourth hand nimbly released the bottom on his pants, pushing them, and his boxers, to the floor as well.

Sasuke reached up and gathered the hair at the sides of Naruto's head in his hands, pulling him up until they were face to face before shoving his head to the side and leaning in to suck and bite what was sure to be an impressive mark over his pulse. He smiled into the warm, reddened skin when Naruto's hips arched forward and their arousals rubbed together, causing them both to shudder and gasp. "It could get better, Naruto."

Naruto's golden head fell against his shoulder and so Sasuke felt rather than saw his nod of agreement. "Let me," Naruto whispered into his ear, and Sasuke found himself being turned until he was facing the tiled wall, his palms against the wet, cool surface and his ass pressed erotically against Naruto's cock that rubbed teasingly between Sasuke's cheeks.

"Yes, god, yes." Sasuke's head dipped between his arms but soon Naruto's fingers fisted his hair and yanked his head back.

"Head up, Sasuke, and tell me what you want."

Sasuke twisted his head and wrapped one arm behind Naruto's head, forcing him closer so he could kiss him hungrily, growling and moaning, his ass rocking back into Naruto. "Fuck me," he growled, "hard and fast. I want to see my cum drip down the walls and know that it was you that made it happen."

He hadn't realized he had closed his eyes until he heard a bottle top pop and suddenly two fingers were at his hole, circling slowly before they pushed inside, sinking deep. "Ahhhhh," he sighed, and then they were moving, twisting and pushing, curling until they rubbed sensually against his prostate, coaxing more and more breathy curses and wanton noises from his mouth. "Naruto, I… god, yes, I'll… I'm…"

Another finger pushed in with the first two and Sasuke thought his knees might have buckled had Naruto not stopped all movement once the third was deep inside him. Against his own will, his muscles tightened and released, squeezing the warm fingers, while his hips began circling, seeking, begging, demanding movement.

"Did you lock the door?" Naruto whispered into his shoulder while iron fingers stilled his hips.

"Wha? No," Sasuke panted and reached back, running his fingers over Naruto's ass and hip before brushing against his cock. The fingers on his own hips slackened and he began moving again, a low, pleased hum escaping his lips.

"God, Sasuke," Naruto all but moaned, "I wish my gun were closer."

At that Sasuke did stop, although his traitorous muscles still milked Naruto's fingers, deeper and deeper. "W-what?"

Naruto pulled his fingers out slowly and their combined moans echoed over the flowing water.

"Fuck, Naruto, please," Sasuke said and Naruto nodded into his shoulder.

"If someone comes in here," Naruto began but Sasuke barely heard because he felt the head of Naruto's cock align with his entrance and push, "and they see you, naked and moaning, greedily taking my cock in your ass." And just like that, suddenly Naruto was _in_ him, filling him, splitting him in two and nothing, fucking nothing else _mattered_. "I'll have to kill them," Naruto said, his voice raspy with need. "This face," Naruto kissed the side of his jaw and moved, pulling nearly completely out before pushing back in. Sasuke gasped and panted, fingers curling over the tiles. "These noises," Naruto continued, "I don't want to share… not with anyone. I won't let you walk away again."

Sasuke turned his head until Naruto looked at him, blue eyes ablaze, before he nodded. "I won't," he swore, and claimed Naruto's lips in a wet and needy kiss only broken when he moaned, sucking in heavy breaths of air because, god help him, Naruto was moving.

One tan hand wrapped around his chest, holding him close, while the other held tightly to his hip, branding their warmth into his skin and Naruto's chin fell on his shoulder. He whispered words that Sasuke had no hope of ever making out but that sent liquid fire coiling and swirling to his core, twisting faster and burning hotter, boiling up and up…

"Oh god, fuck, Naruto," he warned and Naruto's fingers were suddenly gripping his cock, pumping it frantically, with no sense of rhythm, to match his chaotic thrusts.

"I _always_ wanted you," Naruto whispered low and soft, like a caress, and Sasuke's eyes shot open only to see white as his orgasm ripped through him, burning him everywhere, leaving him hot and cold all at once.

He tried to yell Naruto's name but it came out garbled as Naruto wrapped both his arms around him, holding him tightly, bucking into him from behind as his own release took him. Sasuke's name fell off Naruto's lips, rich and dark, curling around Sasuke's senses until he thought he might drown in the sound of his own name.

Amidst warm caresses and breathless sighs, they slid to the floor together as the water from the shower sent painful tingles of pleasure over their sensitive skin.

xxx

Sasuke pulled on the sweatshirt he'd borrowed from Naruto and turned to look at the grinning man sitting on a wooden bench behind him.

Blue eyes danced with amusement and Naruto waved a lazy hand at him. "This will teach you not to take a shower with your clothes on."

Sasuke didn't even deign to give Naruto an answer and tied the string on his borrowed sweats that hung low on his hips. He did smirk however, when he noticed Naruto bite his lower lip, his fingers twitching like he couldn't wait to touch.

Naruto blinked like he was coming out of a trance and cleared his throat. "Hey, Sasuke, did I tell you I got new windows in my apartment?"

Sasuke gathered his wet clothes and shoved them into Naruto's gym bag. "Hn, no, but I assumed that after six weeks you wouldn't still have saran wrap on your windows."

Naruto clucked his tongue and stood, rubbing the back of his neck before leaning against the lockers. "And they say assuming makes you look like an ass…" Naruto said under his breath but then laughed. "Anyway, what was I saying before… right, new windows. They are security glass. You know, where I can see out but no one can see in."

Sasuke nodded, gym bag in hand, while he leaned against the lockers opposite Naruto. "So?"

"Well," Naruto said and a blush colored his cheeks. The detective nervously turned his head to the side, and Sasuke saw the bruise he'd left on Naruto neck and instantly his mouth went dry. "I was thinking, if you want, we could go home and try a variation of what we just did in the showers against those very windows."

Sasuke dropped the gym bag to the floor and, very aware that his borrowed pants were doing nothing to hide what he really thought of Naruto's idea, he didn't even try to cover it and instead walked over to the blond, pressing his erection solidly against Naruto's.

"Ahhh," Naruto breathed shallowly, his blond lashes shuttering his eyes, "So?"

Sasuke pushed Naruto's face aside and licked at the mark. "Are you asking me on a date?" he whispered between licks and nips.

"Ummm… what? Yes!" Naruto answered when Sasuke wrapped his arms around the blond, grabbing his ass, grinding against him, and sucking harshly at his neck.

"Well, then," Sasuke said with a smirk, pulling away, and walking over to his discarded bag. "You know what they say…"

Naruto blinked hazily, nearly tripping over his feet as his followed Sasuke to the door. "Yeah, you're an ass. Wait, no... What?"

Sasuke turned, grabbing Naruto's t-shirt and pulling him forward until he spoke wickedly against pink lips. "Forty-fourth time's a charm."

xxx

The end.

xxx

*huffs angrily*

WHERE did that fluff come from? Dammit.

*walks away, hands in pockets, whistling 'innocently'*


End file.
